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Saturday, February 23, 2008

Hypocrisy at its finest

The stupidity of some publicity hungry morons never ceases to amaze me. Take for example the most recent call for the boycott of the Lonely Planet guide to Burma. Myanmar, or whatever it is called these days.

As BBC so helpfully reports, some organizations, such as the TUC, Tourism Concern, Burma Campaign UK and the New Internationalist, have launched an online petition calling for the immediate withdrawal of the book.

Why? Probably because it’s the only way they can draw attention to their existence.

Especially since it’s much easier to feel self-righteous by attacking a major guidebook publisher than doing something constructive about the Burma issue. I feel your pain… Like, totally...

But why just Burma? Why not the grand-daddy of all human right abuses – China? And what about Cuba? And the great majority of African fiefdoms?

Oh yes, I forgot! Burma is hot, and it’s always easier to be fashionably sensitive than objective.

New Internationalist co-editor, Chris Brazier, said: "Holidaying in Burma is one of the most unethical trips you could make, given the brutality of the current regime.”

With that I fully agree. I just hope that Chris will follow what he preaches and avoid China, Cuba, most of the Middle East, Egypt, Nepal, Serbia, Sri Lanka, and pretty much the whole of Africa.

And the best part? This:

The TUC's international secretary, Owen Tudor, said Lonely Planet was being singled out because "The country's main trade union organisation and the people of Burma oppose tourism."

He denied the Lonely Planet boycott should also apply to guide books on Cuba, Saudi Arabia or other governments around the world with poor human rights records.